Marked
by PGerv214
Summary: Spoiler! At the end of the Final Act instead of wishing for Kagome to be sucked into the well, Naraku wishes for the jewel to shatter and scatter across Japan, cuz he's a troll. While traveling the group come across a coyote demon who wants something to do with Kagome. Inuyasha becomes a full demon and does something no one expected. a LOT better then it sounds. InuKag please read!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey everyone :) it's been a long ass time since I posted anything, but I've been plagued by dreams on a Inuyasha fanfiction I've been thinking about. This fic takes place after (SPOILER!) Naraku is destroyed in the final act, however, instead of wishing for Kagome to be sucked into the sacred jewel, he wishes for the jewel to shatter and scatter across Japan much like it did when Kagome shot it with her sacred arrow in the beginning. You know, 'cause Naraku's a huge troll :) So instead of reading about me rambling, enjoy :) I do not own Inuyasha. **_

**Kagome's POV- **

"Can't we stop and rest for a little while? We've been walking since five in the morning! Don't you want to stop and eat lunch?" I asked hopefully, causing Miroku, Sango, and Kirara to nod in agreement. Inuyasha, who was walking in front of the group scoffed before putting his hands behind his head.

"Tch, no way! We've already wasted enough time. We need to finish collecting the jewel shards," he barked, muttering to himself while I sighed and resisted the urge to 'sit' him.

"Oh come on Inuyasha. We're doing good! We have more then half the jewel complete," I urged, jogging so I was beside him, but he ignored me. "Ever since Naraku was destroyed you've been pushing us to collect the jewel shards more then ever. What's the rush? It's not like this is a race anymore," I offered, frowning at him in annoyance.

"Leave it to Naraku to make our lives a living hell even after death," Sango muttered, forcing me to stifle a laugh while Inuyasha scoffed again.

"Inuyasha does have a point, Lady Kagome. The sooner we complete the jewel, the sooner it'll be gone and we'll no longer have to worry about it," Miroku offered, as his hand twitched towards Sango's ass.

"Also, as demon slayers, it'll make our jobs easier in the long run. This way demons won't be able to harness the shards power, and it'll be easier to defeat them," Miroku explained, eyeing Inuyasha while Sango's hand pulled back to slap him. "However, I do believe it's a good idea to stop. A little break won't-"

"I sense the presence of a jewel shard!" I announced, cutting Miroku off and stilling Sango's hand. "There are a few of them. Three...no wait...four! Maybe even five," I panicked, turning towards Inuyasha with wide eyes. "I can feel a demonic aura, and it's big...and it's coming this way," I breathed, and watched as he smirked and unsheathed Tetsusaiga

Inuyasha held himself confidently, much like always, but my stomach stilled flipped uncomfortably, before a very uneasy feeling settled in my gut.

Inuyasha was strong, he was _beyond_ strong, but for some reason I had a very bad feeling about the approaching demon, and knowing Inuyasha he would throw himself into battle like always. Nothing stood between him and the sacred jewel.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," I heard Sango whisper to Miroku, and I looked over to see him nod with a somber look in his eyes.

"The demonic aura is extremely dark, I don't like it. I haven't felt a presence so strong since Naraku himself," she explained before she looked at me. "Watch yourself," she warned and I nodded before turning back towards Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha I don't like the looks of this..." I said, pleading to him with my eyes to be careful. In return, his eyes softened slightly, but his grin never wavered.

"Tch this'll be easy," he assured, brushing my warning aside, like always. Before I had a the chance to argue, the bushes to the right of us moved, announcing the arrival of the demon, and earning an even bigger grin from Inuyasha as we sized up our opponent.

The demon was in his human form, and looked like a mix between Sesshomaru and Kouga. He had silky black hair that reached the middle of his back, and he had what seemed to be a light brown animal skin sweat band wrapped around his head, covering his hair line.

His skin was tan, and a black line on the center of his forehead branched out into two and crossed over the center of each eyelid and down his cheeks until it reached his jaw, resembling a large wish bone.

As for clothing he was wearing hide armor, much like Kouga's. The only difference was his armor was coated in blood, must like his claws, that flexed eagerly at his sides.

"Hmm, so this is what that wonderful aroma was," he sighed, smirking at me while Inuyasha tensed at my side. A menacing growl escaped from his throat, while his nostrils flared angrily and his eyes hardened, not once turning away from the demon in front of us.

"What is this? Some half-breed trying to be the hero?" the demon cooed earning another growl from Inuyasha who immediately jumped into battle.

"Inuyasha! He has five jewel shards. One in each of his arms and legs and another in his neck!" I called out, earning a single curt nod from Inuyasha has he continued to swing his sword at the demon, who simply dodged the blade each time.

"He's a coyote demon! Normally located on the mainland. They're known for teasing and mocking their enemies before savagely tearing them apart. Most male travel alone but they sometimes create a pack.

"They're very fast and very cunning, almost like large fox demon... just more violent," Sango briefed him, before turning to me, a worried look in her eyes. "I don't know what he meant by the aroma he smelt," she said, but judging by the look on her face, I knew she had an idea of what it meant.

"Didn't your father ever tell you not to travel when your bitch is in heat? A scent like hers may attract some demon ready to challenge you... like me," the demon purred earning a loud possessive growl from Inuyasha, but distracting him enough so the demon could throw him into a tree.

"Dammit! Miroku, don't let this bastard near Kagome," Inuyasha cursed before launching to his feet and heading right back into battle.

Miroku nodded, stepping in front of me with his staff at the ready, before sharing a knowing glance with Sango, who in return stepped forward.

Heaving Hiraikotsu back, she sent it flying towards the demon when his back was turned. However, as if sensing the weapon's approach, he turned, smirking at her before grabbing Hiraikotsu, spinning with it and sending it straight back at her.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled, jumping in front of her just in time to take the hit, sending them both crashing into a tree along with Kirara. I heard them scream in pain as they slid to the ground, Sango gasping for breath while Miroku clenched his stomach, coughing out little spurts of blood.

"Miroku! Sango!" I yelled, before turning back to Inuyasha and notching an arrow, aiming it at the demon that was currently slashing at Inuyasha repeatedly while Inuyasha attempted to get a hit with Tetsusaiga.

Just as I released the arrow, the demon grinned, grabbing Inuyasha's arms and pulling him into the line of fire before jumping back.

"Inuyasha! Watch out!" I cried, causing him to look up, eyes widening before he threw himself out of the way.

However, while dodging the arrow, he lost his grip on Tetsusaiga, causing it to fly from his hand, stabbing into a nearby tree and shrinking to it's dormant form.

I relaxed sightly knowing he wouldn't be hit by my arrow, but the relief was short lived when the demon appeared behind Inuyasha grinning sadistically.

Before I even had time to scream, the demon grabbed Inuyasha's shoulder, digging his claws into it, getting a solid grip on him and slamming him into a near by boulder.

"Inuyasha look out!" I yelled but before he even had time to look up, the demon grabbed him again, holding him in the air by his throat, choking him.

Inuyasha struggled against his grip, trying to pry his hand off his throat, but the demon simply squeezed harder, using the power of the jewel to enhance his strength.

"Ka-gome, r-run!" he choked out, his eyes pleading. Refusing to give up, I shook my head, struggling to notch another arrow with my shaky hands.

In one quick, fluid motion, the demon brought his free arm back, flexing his fingers before extending them, and stabbing them through Inuyasha's chest until he broke through his back.

Inuyasha let out a strangled cry, blood slowly seeping from the corner of his mouth, while the demon flexed his hand, slowly pulling it from Inuyasha's body.

I screamed loudly as tears sprang from my eyes, dropping my bow as my hands flew over my mouth.

Desperately, I turned around, pleading for help, only to find Sango attempting to pull herself to her feet, while Miroku remained on the ground, dry heaving. Sango dragged herself over to Hiraikotsu, struggling to lift the heavy weapon, causing a spark of hope to ignite within me.

Hearing a loud grunt behind me, I quickly turned around, freezing when I saw both Inuyasha and the demon disappeared. Panic immediately consumed me while my eyes racked the forest for anything red.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha where are you!" I screamed, sprinting to the spot he and the demon were standing.

The earth was splattered with his blood, staining the dirt a deep liquid crimson, causing a strangled sob to escape my lips.

I was about to turn back to Sango when I heard the sound of fabric billowing in the wind, causing me to look up. Squinting against the sun, I saw a blob of red and white hurtling towards the ground.

Gasping, I ducked, just as the blob slammed into the boulder, crushing it under it's weight and sending debris flying through the air, nearly hitting me while Sango used Hiraikotsu as a shield, protecting her, Miroku, and Kirara.

When the dust cleared, my eyes immediately fell on Inuyasha's limp, broken form as a puddle of blood slowly formed beneath him.

"Oh god!" I cried, jumping to my feet and running towards him, only to be cut off by the demon. He smirked at me, letting out a sick laugh as he licked Inuyasha's blood from his claws.

Scrambling backwards, I dashed for my bow, just as a hand grasped my wrist, twisting my arm behind my back painfully. His other arm curled around my waist, securing me against his body.

"I've been following you for some time now, Bitch. Your scent is so.." he started before brushing his nose to my neck, inhaling deeply. "Alluring," he finishing, licking sensually from my jaw line down to my collar bone.

"Ugh that's disgusting! Let me go!" I screamed, thrashing around wildly despite the pain in my arm. He growled ferociously, before slicing his claws across my stomach, earning another scream while my knees buckled from the pain.

He pulled his arm away from my waist, only to pull my hair away from my neck, gripping it painfully like a make shift leash while he pressed his lips to my neck.

"You're mine, Bitch. No one can save you now," he cooed, causing my eyes to go wide as he pressed his lips to my neck once again. A chill ran down my spin as I pulled against his grip.

"Inuyasha!" I cried, voice cracking in desperation while the demon chuckled again, releasing my arm and wrapping it over my chest, pinning me so I couldn't move.

"Kagome!" I heard Sango yell, making the air around me thicken. The fear in her voice caused me to hyperventilate, shutting my eyes as I felt something poke the skin on my neck.

However, just as I braced myself for pain, I heard a disgruntled yelp from behind me, before the arms that restrained me were ripped away.

My eyes snapped open and I turned around, immediately focusing on the demon who was being pressed against a tree by his hair courtesy of a very angry Inuyasha.

Scratch that.. a very _demon_ Inuyasha. His eyes, which were usually a topaz gold, were now blood red with turquoise pupils, accented by lightning shaped purple strips on his cheeks.

Inuyasha barked, literally, before growling at the demon, who coward under his gaze. The demon seemed to understand what Inuyasha had said, because he started whimpering, as if begging for forgiveness, but Inuyasha only smirked.

His free hand grabbed the demons shoulder, while the one gripping his hair tightened. Barking something else, Inuyasha ripped his arm back, tearing the demon's head right off his body.

He made quick work in collecting the jewel shards before his gaze turned to me, something I've never seen before flashing in his eyes.

I gasped softly, taking a step back in the process, but he was instantly behind me, gently pulling my hair away from my neck, stroking my pulse point with his thumb, causing me to shiver under his touch.

"I-Inuyasha?" I breathed, only to receive a quick, but gentle bark in return as he nuzzled my neck with his nose, inhaling just like the other demon.

My eyes flickered to Sango who was helping Miroku to his feet, and starring at us with a wide eyed, worried expression on her face. I could tell she wanted me to subdue him, but he was being so gentle that I could think straight.

Another bark caught my attention, followed by a soft, purring sound that vibrated through his chest. Pulling me closer to him, I gasped when I felt his fangs sink into my throat, making him purr louder.

"I-Inuyasha! W-what are you doing?" I asked, attempting to pull away, but he just wrapped his arms around me gently, holding me to him.

Within seconds the pain subsided and I felt heat spreading from the spot. It wasn't long until the heat reached between my thighs. "O-oh..." I moaned while my head rolled back to his shoulder as he continued to do, well, whatever he was doing.

After a few more seconds he pulled away, growling possessively, causing me to stagger forward as I caught my balance.

Spinning around, my hand flew to my neck as I starred at him. The red in his eyes slowly faded away, being replaced by his normal topaz eyes.

However, once the purple marks on his cheeks disappeared, his eyes immediately rolled back in his head, before closing all together as he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Inuyasha!" I yelled, dropping to his sides while Sango rushed over, leaving Miroku leaning on Kiara. The hole in his chest gushed blood, staining his kosode and the grass beneath him. "Sango! Grab my back pack!" I yelled, and she nodded hoisting the bag over her shoulder and running over.

I quickly set to work bandaging the wound, before wrapping my own stomach with gauze, while Sango retrieved Tetsusaiga and slipped it into it's sheath. Observing the bandages, I sighed, frowning as I packed my stuff away.

"That's the best we can do for now, We have to get him to Kaede's" I explained before turning to Kirara. She seemed to understand me because she immediately transformed into her larger self and grabbed my back pack between her teeth while I slung my bow over my shoulder.

Sango mounted Kirara first before turning around and helping Miroku and I hoist Inuyasha's limp body on. After helping Miroku up, I slid between him and Inuyasha, pressing myself as close to Inuyasha's back as I could.

"Let's go Kirara!" Sango commanded glancing over her shoulder at Inuyasha and I while I wrapped my arms around him to keep him from falling over.

Kirara quickly took off, soaring towards Kaede's village, but didn't take long before I could feel Inuyasha's blood oozing through his bandages, covering my arms.

Panicking, I pressed myself closer to him, applying pressure to the wound, while I buried my face in the back of his kimono. I couldn't help but notice how being pressed this close to him brought on a sense of bliss I've never felt before.

Feeling his heart beat through his back at a normal rate, I smiled, burrowing my face closer to him, and I could swear I heard him purring in contentment.

Glancing over his shoulder, I saw Sango glancing back at me, eyeing my neck with a worried expression. Smiling at her, I mouthed 'I'm fine', hoping to ease her mind.

In fact, I _was _fine. I felt better then I've had in a while. My stomach stung a little, but besides that I felt like I've just spent the day at a spa.

Her brow furrowed, but she managed to smile weakly at me before turning around. Rolling my eyes, I settled myself against Inuyasha's back as we continued the ride in silence.

After about two hours of traveling, we finally landed in Kaede's village. Sango immediately ran to Miroku, helping him off Kirara and leading him towards Kaede's hut, leaving me to take care of Inuyasha.

Pushing Inuyasha forward so he slumped against Kiara, I slid off her back gently so I wouldn't fall.

Once I was certain I wouldn't lose my footing, I planted my feet firmly on the ground, bending my knees slightly before grabbing Inuyasha's arm, pulling him towards me while I wrapped my other arm around his back.

With a soft grunt I pulled him off Kirara, gasping when his weight crashed into me. Grumbling under my breath, I regained my balance and readjusted my hold on him, before dragging him into Kaede's hut

Sango must have informed Kaede that Inuyasha needed medical attention, because a spare futon was already being rolled out while Kaede sat next to it with her supplies sprawled around her.

I laid Inuyasha down on the futon, with the help of Sango, who quickly returned to Miroku, who was leaning against the wall, sipping at some tea Kaede probably gave him before I came in.

"Can ye tell us what happened child?" Kaede asked while Rin brought a bucket of water over as well as a cloth. I helped them take off Inuyasha's kimono and kosode noticing how my hands and arms were still coated in dried blood, before placing my bow and quiver against the wall.

"A coyote demon with jewel shards showed up while we were traveling. Inuyasha rushed into battle like always, but he seemed even more defensive then usual.

"The demon was better, and smarter then we gave him credit for. He redirected Hiraikotsu, and pulled Inuyasha in the way of an arrow I shot. Inuyasha was able to dodge it but lost Tetsusaiga in the process.

"The demon used the distraction to throw Inuyasha into some rocks, and then.. he.. well he stabbed him through the chest. I don't know how he did it, but he was able to carry Inuyasha into the air and then slammed him into the ground.

"He was about to go after me when Inuyasha became full demon and killed him.." I trailed off, tracing circles on the back of Inuyasha's hand. "After he killed the demon, he passed out, so we came here," I finished, deciding it was better that she didn't know about Inuyasha biting me.

"What about ye, Kagome. Are ye injured?" she asked, her eyes scanning over my bloodied shirt and arms. Smiling I shook my head, allowing my hair to fall over my shoulder, effectively hiding the bite mark on my neck.

"I'm okay, Kaede. Most of this is Inuyasha's blood" I stated, gesturing to the front of my shirt. Sango's head snapped up, and she opened her mouth to protest, but I quickly grabbed a bag of chips from my bag and threw them at her, silencing her. "Sorry, Sango, I thought you might be hungry," I lied, smiling at her innocently.

Kaede and Rin continued to clean Inuyasha's wound in silence, while I watched them work, gripping Inuyasha's hand in my own as I rubbed circles on his knuckles with my thumb.

Smiling, I titled my head to the side as I watched him. He was breathing evenly, as if he was sleeping, and there was a ghost of a smile on his lips, which made me smile even more.

"Inuyasha will be fine," Kaede stated, causing me to jump in surprise, while she chuckled. "He will be asleep for a few hours, but his life is not in danger," she explained, while I sighed in relief and smiled at her.

"Kagome, dear, ye look exhausted. Why don't ye head back home and rest" Kaede offered, pulling Inuyasha into a sitting position as Rin wrapped his wound.

I opened my mouth to tell her no and explain that I'd rather stay by Inuyasha's side, but I noticed the blood that caked my arms and stained my clothes, causing me to wrinkle my nose.

"Maybe you're right...are you sure he'll be okay?" I asked, reluctantly pulling my hand away from his while Kaede nodded.

"Aye child, it seems Inuyasha passed out from fatigue. He will be awake by morning" she offered, smiling as she laid him back down, covering his forehead with a wet cloth.

"I'll be back by noon. I just want to take a shower and restock on supplies," I explained, heading for the door. Turning around, I took one last look at Inuyasha before smiling at the others. "Take care of him for me, okay?" I murmured, earning a nod from everyone in the room.

Walking outside, I stretched my legs and arms, wincing when the skin on my stomach pulled uncomfortably. Looking at the sky, I groaned when I saw that the sun was setting, which meant Souta was home, and dinner would be served soon.

Glancing back down at my shirt, I sighed. It wouldn't be the first time I came home looking like this, but whenever I did, Mama would fuss over me and Souta would beg for stories from the feudal era.

If that wasn't enough, the tears in the front of my uniform, where most of the blood had collected from holding Inuyasha, would make it look like I was severely injured. That was bound to make Mama freak out

"Well I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we get there" I stated to myself, picking my back pack up from the spot Kirara left it and heaving it onto my shoulders.

However, before I could even take a step forward, I heard someone's foot steps behind me. Turning around, I saw Sango who looked at me with a very worried expression.

"Kagome... I think you should tell Kaede about Inuyasha biting you. She might know what that means," she pleaded, glancing at my neck nervously.

"Relax Sango, it's just a little bite. I'm fine," I said, but her gaze kept shifting to my neck. "It's just an animal thing. My cat nips at my wrists all the time. It's kinda like a 'thanks for taking care of me' in animal speak" I explained, smiling.

It wasn't a complete lie. When Buyo was in a loving mood, he'd rub up against me before nipping at my wrists and meowing. I just didn't really know his reasoning behind it.

"Well... as long as you feel fine. You're probably right. It's probably nothing," she decided, but I could tell she was still nervous. With one final wave, I turned around and headed into the forest.

Thankfully, the walk to the bone eaters well was pretty quiet. Usually, Inuyasha, Sango, or Miroku would follow me in order to ensure my safety considering a demon usually made an appearance on the way there.

However, whenever I did come across a demon, their aura seemed to spike before disappearing all together as if it were afraid of my presence.

Being around demons for so long, I've noticed that when they come across a women in the forest, covered in blood and obviously injured, they almost literally _jumped _on her, either killing, or kidnapping her instantly. Did the others truly scare them that much that they didn't even want to be caught near me?

Deciding that I'd rather they fear being around me and leaving me alone then attack me, I continued to the well, jumping in effortlessly and allowing the familiar, blue blanket to envelope me.

After a few moments of floating in the time lapse, my feet touched the ground softly, before depositing me completely on the old dirt at the bottom of the well.

Looking up to make sure I was in the well house and not in the feudal era anymore, I started climbing the ladder Gramps and Souta made me to make my time traveling easier, or so they say. In my opinion I've always believed they just got sick of helping me out of the well all the time.

Glancing through the doors, I noticed all the lights upstairs were off, leaving the lights in the kitchen, dining area, and living area glowing brightly as the sun dipped under the horizon.

Sprinting towards the house in case someone came to visit the shrine, I threw the door open before rushing inside. Explaining my appearance to my family who knew about the feudal era was one thing, explaining my appearance to a complete stranger was something I never wanted to encounter.

"I'm home!" I yelled, making sure to keep my voice up beat so no one expected anything was wrong. I quickly closed the door before running up stairs to the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I quickly stripped out of my grungy clothes, opting to throw them away and just order a new uniform, before turning on the shower, allowing the water to heat up.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" I heard Mama call on the other side of the door, gently rapping her knuckles on the wood.

"Yeah, Mama, I'm fine. Just a little dirty so I thought I'd take a shower before coming down for dinner," I explained, starring down at my stomach that was covered in semi-gruesome gashes.

In truth the slices weren't too deep and stopped bleeding a long time ago. Whatever the demon wanted, he intended on keeping me alive because the injury was meant to only stun me so I couldn't resist.

However, the lines themselves looked vicious, like I was attacked by some wild animal.. which was half true.

"Alright honey, don't take too long. Dinner should be ready in five minutes but we'll wait for you," she stated, and before I could object I heard her foot steps scatter down the hall and descend down the stairs.

Sighing, I stepping into the shower, and quickly got to work washing the dirt and grim out of my hair.

Rushing through my normal shower routine, I took a wash cloth and started scrubbing the dried blood from my arms.

Once I was certain that my arms were clean, I roughly scrubbed my neck, wincing whenever the cloth rubbed over the wounded flesh.

When I finished with that, I trailed the wash cloth down my throat, following the trail of blood until I reached my stomach.

Taking a shaky breath, I began scrubbing at the wound, gasping whenever I hit a particularly sensitive area of flesh.

With all the blood scrubbed away, it looked a lot less gruesome, however, I accidentally reopened the wound, which began oozing crimson blood that the water quickly washed away.

I quickly got out of the shower and grabbed some gauze, actually taking time to wrap my waist carefully this time.

Looking in the mirror, I brushed my wet hair aside and gazed at the bite mark on my neck.

The puncture wound was clean and deep, almost like a vampire bite, and was barely bleeding anymore. However, it was still very noticeable, so I quickly grabbed a large, square Band-Aid and slapped it on, covering it completely.

Throwing my hair in a messy bun, I wrapped my towel tightly around me before heading to my room and throwing on a nightgown and a robe.

Taking once last look in the mirror and nodding at my appearance, I decided I looked suitable enough to head downstairs.

Taking two steps at a time, I made it into the dining area just as Mama was placing dinner on the table. Souta and Gramps were already seated, sucking down some rice and curry, while Mama greeted me.

"Oh Kagome, you're right on time," she said, smiling at me and making me realize how much I missed her when I was gone.

Smiling back at her, I took my seat next to Souta and grabbed my chopsticks. The scent of curry, rice, and fried noodles assaulted my nose, making my mouth water.

"Wow, Mama! This looks delicious! Thanks for the food!" I said before greedily eating my rice and curry. Just as I was about to eat my last bite of rice, an unbearable wave of nausea hit me .

Dropping my chopsticks, I doubled over in my seat, gasping for air as my entire body heated up while my stomach flipped repeatedly, making it hard to breathe.

"Kagome! What's wrong?" Mama asked, her voice sounding panicked. Sucking in a few big gulps of air, I looked up at her, panting as my head began to throb.

I opened my mouth to respond, but my chest erupted in pain, causing me to cry out as I fell to the floor. Mama was immediately at my side, pulling me up while her forehead creased with worry.

"You're burning up," she stated, before turning to Souta. "Souta, go to the kitchen and make some of that tea that's in the green box. When it's done bring it to Kagome's room," she demanded, lifting me into her arms.

I let out another strangled cry while Mama ran upstairs surprisingly fast for a women who was carrying her sixteen year old daughter.

Once in my room, she laid me down, covering me with the thick blankets while I groaned in agony.

"You're going to be okay, Kagome, just relax," she pleaded, tears shining in her eyes. I let out another cry thrashing around while she tried to hold me down.

"Mama, it burns!" I cried, tears streaming down my face as I sobbed at the pain. My body felt like it was burning, but that was nothing compared to the searing pain in my chest.

"I know, Honey, I know. But you're going to be fine," she insisted, placing her hands on either side of my face, forcing me to look at her.

"Here's the tea, Mom," I heard Souta say, followed quickly by a 'thank you' from Mama. "Is Kagome gonna be okay?" he choked out, voice cracking unnaturally.

"She's going to be fine," she told him, bringing the cup of tea to my lips, and pouring it down my throat. I swallowed the disgusting liquid, groaning as another wave of pain hit me, causing me to cry out again.

"What is that stuff?" Souta asked when Mama handed the tea cup back. Mama sat down at the edge of the bed, while Souta took the chair at my desk, starring at me with a worried expression while Mama sighed.

"I don't really know. Her friend Hojo brought it over a few weeks ago when Grandpa use the 'fever induced insomnia' excuse. He said it's a special kind of tranquilizer that also reduces fevers," she explained, frowning. "I really hate the idea of tranquilizing her, but she's in so much pain.. I.. I just don't know what to do," she confessed, her lip quivering slightly.

They continued talking, but I couldn't hear them any longer. In fact I couldn't do a lot of things. I stopped squirming, and as I looked around the room, the corners of my vision blurred, fading to black until I couldn't see anything anymore.

"Inu...yasha..." I murmured, before succumbing to the blackness.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here's the second chapter of Marked! Now I just want to be clear, I do NOT hate Kouga. I freakin' love that pompous wolf demon. However, I needed him to be a complete ass because I needed Kagome to be afraid. You see, dogs, female puppies especially, hate confrontation. They'd much rather run away then get into trouble, because when someone raises their voice at them, they become afraid and they run. I've come to this concluesion by watching my own dog, so this is not a scientfic fact, just an inference. Now enough with the boring stuff, please enjoy and remember I do not own Inuyasha!**_

When I woke up the next morning I felt great. Fantastic even. The heat that had consumed me last night vanished, and nausea, headache, and pain in my chest disappeared with it.

Sitting up, I stretched my arms, a strange, almost purring noise escaping my lips while I made a mental note to thank Hojo for the tea next time I saw him.

I sat there, looking around my room, and listened to the cars on the street drive by, while people walking on the side walks and talked to their friends.

Taking a deep breath, I cringed as I smelt the gas and diesel that filled the air. However, I was also able to smell the omelets Mama was cooking in the kitchen, giving me the motivation to get out of bed.

Before heading downstairs, I went to the bathroom, intending to fix my hair. However, when I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I shrieked, letting out a high pitched scream.

Shaking, I reached up to my head, touching the foreign objects only to cry out loud and retract my hands when the little furry triangles twitched under my touch.

"Oh my God..." I gasped, reaching up again and grasping the furry appendages. Starring at the little black dogs ears, I squeezed them, only to yelp louder as pain shot through my body. "Oh God, They're real!" I screamed, before finally noticing my hands.

Pulling them away from the furry ears on my head, I inspected my fingers, noticing how much longer my nails were and how they no longer resembled nails at all. Instead of the dull, short nails I use to have, I now had longer, sharp, almost deadly claws.

Gawking at them, I let out a strangled yelp before moving my hands back up to my head and covering my ears. The _dog_ ears that had taken place of my old ones. Opening my mouth to scream again, I finally noticed the two pearly white fangs that we now longer then the rest of my teeth.

Pulling one hand away, I pulled my lips aside, starring at my K9 teeth that now stood out much more then they should. Looking over my appearance one more time, I let out a much louder, desperate shriek.

Now that I was starring at myself, I realized how different my morning had been. I should never have been able to hear the cars driving by or the people on the street. Hell, my window was closed! And the road was at least two hundred feet away!

Not to mention being able to smell the pollution in the air. Inuyasha always complained about how disgusting the air in my world smelt, but I've never been able to tell the difference between the feudal era and the present. The only difference I've ever noticed was how much easier it was to breathe back in Inuyasha's world.

"Kagome! I heard you screaming, are you okay?" Mama yelled, throwing the door open, only to freeze when she saw me. "Oh my.." she murmured, starring at me with a hand over her mouth while I began to panic.

"I-I don't know what happened, I woke up this morning and I could hear everything and smell everything and then I came in here and I saw these and-" I started, flailing my arms around as I rambled.

Mama starred at me, before rushing over to me and taking my ears in her hand, much like she... and I... did to Inuyasha when we first saw him.

I couldn't stop myself from purring when she rubbed them, only to throw my hand over my mouth while Mama squealed in delight.

"Oh Kagome! You look so cute!" she cooed, while I starred at her incredulously, pulling away from her touch.

"Mama! I don't know what to do! Last night I went to bed human, and I woke up a half-demon! I don't know what happened!" I cried, pacing around the room in front of her.

"Um.. Kagome.. there's something sticking out of your nightgown.." she stated, stifling a laugh while I froze. Turning around, I turned my torso so I could see my back in the mirror, shrieking when I saw a black, long furry object protruding from the bottom of my nightgown, and swaying back and forth slowly.

Grabbing it, I felt my skin pull painfully, yelping slightly before turning to Mama who was giggling to herself.

"I. have. a tail. Mama.. I have a tail!" I cried, dropping it as I started hyperventilating, pulling my hair as I screamed in frustration.

"Okay Kagome, calm down. Lets just think about this. What could have happened yesterday that could have turned you into a half-demon?" she asked, dragging me into my room and sitting me down on the edge of my bed.

"Well it was a normal morning, Inuyasha was driving us to our limits to try and find jewel shards. Around noon a demon showed up, he had five jewel shards and wanted something to do with me.

"He injured Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha, and was about to kidnap me I think, but Inuyasha became a full demon. He killed the demon and then turned on me. I thought he was going to attack me but he was being all gentle and kind despite being full demon.

"He bit me and it felt really weird and then he passed out, so we all headed back to Kaede's then I came here," I explained, realizing how poorly I put everything, but it didn't seem to phase Mama.

"Alright, so the only thing out of ordinary was Inuyasha biting you right? Where'd he bite you?" She asked, eyes sparkling as she looked at my dog ears again.

"On my neck, right here." I said, pointing to the Band-Aid before tearing it off to show her. She starred at it for a few minutes, confusion written all over her face before she turned her eyes to my face.

"Kagome there's no bite mark there, just some weird symbol," she said, starring blankly at me, almost like she thought I was lying. Starring at her dumbfounded, I jumped up, running back to the bathroom.

Starring at myself in the mirror, I noticed Mama was right. The bite mark was completely gone, no scab or anything. However, in it's place was a purple lighting shaped stripe that looked exactly like the ones on Inuyasha's cheeks whenever he turned full demon.

However, in the center of the marking there was an ancient katakana scripture that I couldn't decipher.

Looking to the door I saw Mama standing there, just as confused as she starred at the mark, trying to read it. I felt my ears flatten on my head while my tail curled between my legs, watching as her forehead creased in concentration.

"Well? Can you read what it says?" I asked desperately, poking one of my fangs with my tongue, to remind myself not to bite my lip.

"No.. it's a really old writing technique. I've seen it on some of the stuff in Grandpa's storage shed. He might be able to tell you what it says, but you might want to cover your... ears, and maybe hide the tail too. We don't want to freak Grandpa out," she offered, tweaking one of my ears again.

Glaring at her, I pulled away before heading to my room, locking the door behind me. Grabbing my spare uniform, and laying the outfit on the bed, I stripped out of my nightgown and was about to pull on my shirt when I noticed my waist was still wrapped in gauze.

Unwinding the thick white material, I laughed breathlessly when I noticed the jagged gashes that had been there yesterday, were now gone.

"Forget it, Kagome, you have other things to worry about," I scolded, pulling on a pair of panties, groaning when I realized they would never go on right because of my new tail. "I'll figure that out later too, I guess," I complained while putting my bra on.

Looking at my back pack, I grabbed a roll of gauze as I grabbed my tail, wrapping it around my hips like a belt. I then grabbed the gauze and tightly wrapped it over my tail, tying the ends together.

Pulling my skirt and shirt on, I looked in the mirror, smiling in approval at how successful I was at hiding the fluffy black tail under my skirt. Grabbing a green, cloth, headband that matched my uniform, I pulled it on, successfully covering my ears as well.

Heading downstairs, I found Gramps and Mama in the kitchen, drinking tea. Relief washed over her when she saw me looking normal, and well, not half dog, before she smiled at me.

"Good morning, Kagome. Are you feeling any better?" Gramps asked, flashing a toothless smile at me before sipping at his tea. The smell of incense and denture glue assaulted my nose, making my head spin as I sat down.

"Morning, Gramps. I feel a lot better," I said, smiling as Mama handed me a plate with one of her omelets on it. "So, Grandpa, Mama tells me you can read ancient katakana scriptures," I commented, blinking innocently as he eyed me, obviously confused as to why I brought this up.

"Er.. well yes. My father taught me, just as his father taught him. Being a priest I need to know how to read this kind of literature in order to know whether an artifact is indeed a sacred item or not," he explained, sticking his chest out proudly.

Rolling my eyes, I scooted closer to him, batting my eye lashes like I did whenever I wanted something, causing him to sigh.

"Alright, Kagome. What do you want?" he asked, crossing his arms while Mama stifled a laugh. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my hair aside, baring the mark to him. His eyes went wide as he starred at the scripture, brow furrowing in confusion.

"This appeared on my neck this morning and I don't know what it says. I'm trying to figure out why it's there," I stated, glancing at Mama who was leaning forward in her seat, just as eager to hear the translation.

"Why... that's your demon friends name. It spells out 'Inuyasha'," he said, causing my heart to flutter strangely. It was pretty clear that the mark had to do with Inuyasha biting me, but what did it mean exactly? And did the mark have anything to do with my new appearance and the pain I felt last night?

"Thanks Grandpa, but I need to get going," I stated, scrambling to my feet and running upstairs. Stopping at my room, I grabbed my back pack, threw a few extra outfits inside before rushing to the bathroom.

After filling the back pack with all medical supplies I could find, and slapping another Band-Aid over the mark, I ran back to the kitchen and grabbed some snack foods for the others, before heading to the well house. After all, if anyone knew anything about this, it'd be a demon, or a demon slayer.

After hesitating for a moment, I jumped inside, taking comfort in the blue light that clung to me once again.

When I felt my feet touch the ground, I looked up towards the sky, and without thinking about it, I jumped, launching myself into the air before falling back down to the green grass below me, before I even had time to scream.

Laughing breathlessly, I squatted down and placed my hand on the ground, running my clawed fingers over the plush green grass. After a few seconds, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Kagome? She's back early," someone stated, causing me to look up towards the village. About a hundred feet away from me, I saw Sango walking towards the well, Hiraikotsu strapped to her back while she balanced a basket of herbs on her hips.

"I'm gonna have to get use to this 'long distance hearing' thing," I grumbled before straightening up and waving her over with a smile on my face.

When she saw me wave, she quickened her pace, causing my tail to twitch painfully when it tried to fold between my legs.

"Hello, Kagome. You're back early. How're you feeling?" She asked, her eyes flickering to the bandage on my neck.

"I feel fine.. but...I have a few questions," I muttered, looking down at the ground as I shifted my weight from my left foot to my right.

"You do? About what?" she asked, smiling at me, but every once in a while her eyes would dance over to my neck.

"Well... I, uh, have two towels in my back pack. Do you want to head to the hot spring and talk there? You know, for privacy?" I offered, and I could see realization flash over her eyes. She could tell that whatever I needed to ask her was important.. _very_ important.

"Oh! Yes, of course. I was just collecting some supplies for Kaede, but she won't mind if we stop at the hot springs. It's probably a good idea we move though, there's a foreign demonic aura around. I've never felt it before," she explained, smiling at me as we started walking to the hot springs, while I stiffened and let out a half-hearted laugh.

When we got there, Sango stripped off her clothes and wrapped her towel around her torso before stepping into the hot water, sighing as she sat down.

"Kagome? Aren't you coming in?" she asked, while I paced in front of her, tugging at a strand of hair. "Kagome, what's wrong? You've been acting strange ever since you got back," she stressed, looking me over as if looking for something that could be held responsible.

"Okay, look. Yesterday you seemed really worried about Inuyasha biting me. I need to know why," I told her, kneeling at the edge of the spring, eyeing her. "Please, Sango. This is really important," I pleaded, folding my hands together in a begging manor.

"Oh, it's nothing. Nothing you need to worry about at least," she said, giving me a strange look. However, the look on my face must have been pathetic because her eyes softened considerably.

"Okay, I'll tell you. Canine demons are very different than normal demons. They're more human, and a lot more loyal. Usually, they won't engage in a fight unless threatened, or unless something they consider theirs is threatened.

"They also grow very attached to companions. For example, Sesshomaru, who normally is very reserved, met Rin, and now would risk his life for her. The same goes for you and Inuyasha. Before you two met he could care less about humans, and now he'd do anything to protect you.

"That's not the only way that they're different, either. When canine demons pick a... _partner_, they stay with that partner until death-" she explained before I cut her off.

"Wait, but that doesn't make sense. Inuyasha's father didn't stay with Sesshomaru's mother," I stated, crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to soften my heart beat.

"You didn't let me finish. Just because they were together doesn't mean he chose her as a partner. You see, when a demon truly wants to be with another demon, he 'marries' them, in a sense.

"They fuse each others blood together so their life-span synchronizes. The action binds them together in every sense. They can feel when each other are in pain, or scared, it's like their souls were bound together, and they become mates.

"When this action occurs, it's permanent unless one of the demons die. Then the bond breaks and the living demon can choose another partner, but they're usually too devastated to even consider it," she stated glancing at me.

"And how does this have to do with Inuyasha biting me?" I asked, growing slightly agitated. My ears twitched uncomfortably against their restraints, turning towards every sound that occurred, while I tried to focus on the words coming out of Sango's mouth.

"That's how they bind themselves. The male demon bites the tip of his tongue, then bites into the pulse point of the female's neck. The blood from the wound on his tongue flows into her blood stream, while he takes her blood from her neck through his wound, fusing their blood together.

"It.. well.. is usually done during the actual mating," she stuttered, blushing brightly. "But it doesn't have to be! It just.. usually is. Anyway's, after the male bites her, a mark forms. It shows other male demons that she is spoken for, and it produces his scent.

"It's kind of like a safety measure. When demons, male or female, see the mark and smells the male demon's scent, it warns them that if they kill the female there will be fatal consequences. Mates are very protective of each other, and if a demon's mate is killed, they will do anything to avenge them.

"Usually, when the binding takes place, both the male, and female demon give consent. However, sometimes male demons force themselves on the females, raping them in a sense.

"That's why Inuyasha was so defensive when that coyote demon showed up. The demon was going to forcefully claim you, and Inuyasha already considers you as his, whether he admits it or not," she told me, opting to get out of the hot spring and get dressed, instead of shriveling in the hot water.

"Is that what the demon meant when he said I was in heat?" I asked, but she shook her head, before heading behind a tree to get changed.

"No. When he said you were in heat, it meant you're at the point of your menstrual cycle where you're most fertile. Your scent gives it off and tells male demons that now is the best time to reproduce with you, attracting them," she told me, peaking out from behind the tree while I blushed.

"Inuyasha must have took offense to the demons unwanted pursuit, which was why he was so intent on keeping the demon away from you. When the demon was licking your neck, he was preparing to mark you, and since Inuyasha was incapacitated, I think his demon decided to take over.

"You see, demons are very instinctual, especially canine demons. They choose mates that will bare them powerful sons, and they grow an attachment to that person. However, the longer they know the person, the more emotional the attachment becomes, making it more powerful, and eventually turning into love.

"Based on the way Inuyasha acted when he became a full demon, I'd say his demon side formed an attachment to you. When he saw another demon was going to claim you, his demon side decided that if Inuyasha wouldn't mark you, he'd take over and do it himself.

"I don't think his inner demon wanted to risk losing you," she finished, stepping out from behind the tree and laying her towel out.

However, as she sat down beside me, I realized that whenever she talked about a male demon marking a female, the female was always another demon. Not once did she talk about what happened when a male demon marked a female human.

"What.. what happens when a demon marks a human?" I asked quietly, trying to hide how nervous I really was by looking up at the blue sky and sighing as if I was relaxed.

"No one knows. Until yesterday, I've never heard of a demon marking a human. Humans are not generally close enough to demons to form an attachment, let alone fall in love. Inuyasha's father didn't even mark his mother, and we know he loved her more than life itself. I believe both demons and humans were afraid to try.

"That's why I was so worried. I was afraid Inuyasha's demon blood would consume you, and kill you from the inside. Either that, or his blood would cancel out your spiritual powers, but you're alive, and the jewel shards around your neck are still purified, so I guess nothing happened," she concluded, shrugging her shoulders while I released a shaky breath.

"Sango.. something did happen. I don't know how it happened but, just.. see for yourself..." I muttered, ripping the bandage off my neck. She leaned forward, inspecting the mark, and mouthing Inuyasha's name as she read the scripture.

"Oh my God, it worked! Demons can claim humans.. that's..that's.." she stuttered, trying to grasp the right word, but I grinned sheepishly at her.

"That's not all," I said, showing her the claws on my right hand while I pulled my headband off with my left. She starred at my hands for a few moments before slowly looking up to the top of my head, mouth falling open in shock.

"Oh my God..your ears..." she breathed, reaching up and touching the tip of my right ear, only squeak and pull her hand away when it flicked away from her finger.

"And that's still not it.." I muttered, hiking my skirt up to my hip. With a swipe of my finger, the gauze ripped apart, allowing my tail to sweep back and forth behind me.

"You.. you have a tail.." she choked out, her hands flying to her mouth. "At the well, you looked up at me as if you heard me. I.. I ignored it because I knew it was impossible, but.." she trailed off, once again starring at the two furry dog ears on the top of my head.

"It's not impossible.. anymore at least. I heard you after I jumped fifty feet in the air like it was nothing," I scoffed, earning a small smile from her.

"But.. but _how?_ Yesterday.. you were human! Now.. now you're a half demon.." she pointed out, while I stood up, pacing back and forth in front of her.

"I.. I don't know! I was fine yesterday, but at dinner, my entire body became hot, like I was burning, and I was in an unbearable amount of pain. I was screaming and thrashing around, and I couldn't feel anything besides pain.

"My mother had to tranquilize me because I was in so much pain, but when I woke up I felt fine. Better then fine, I felt _great_.

"I went to the bathroom and when I looked in the mirror, well, I looked like _this_. Inuyasha's bite mark was replaced by this mark, and the wound on my stomach was gone," I told her while she sat there, thinking as she bit the tip of her thumb.

"Inuyasha woke up last night a few hours after you left. He was yelling at us, saying you were hurt and he needed to save you. We told him you were in your time and you were safe but he kept freaking out.

"He had a fever so we thought he was just delirious, but he must have been feeling your pain when you were changing.

"It makes sense.. when he fused his blood with yours, since his blood is stronger, it took over your human blood, turning you into a half demon. That's the best way to ensure your life-spans are synchronized, after all," she said, and I froze.

"You're saying.. Inuyasha's awake?" I muttered while Sango starred at me, nodding her head.

"Yes, after we were able to calm him down, he stayed up grumbling for an hour before falling back asleep. He was really exhausted.. and Kaede slipped something in his tea," she stated, giggling into the back of her hand.

"Anyway's, when he woke up this morning he demanded to know what happened last night. He said the last thing he remembered was you asking to stop for lunch.

"We had only gotten to the part about him turning into a full demon before Inuyasha stormed out. When I left to collect herbs for Kaede, Miroku was looking for him to try and talk some sense into him," she explained, allowing me to sigh in relief.

"So he doesn't know about the.. the marking thing.. right?" I asked and she shook her head. "Thank God," I sighed only to freeze again. "Wait.. what about Shippo? Did he come back from the fox academy yet?" I panicked, remembering how other demons can smell when a female is marked.

"No he hasn't come back yet. You do realized you can't hide something like this. The moment Inuyasha smells you he'll notice the difference," she stated, making me blush slightly.

"I know.. I just, I'm afraid he'll react badly," I confessed curling my tail between my legs while my ears flattened against my head.

I could see Sango stifle a laugh when she saw my reaction, but she stood up pulling me to my feet and placed her hands on my shoulders, smiling.

"Kagome, I'm sure everything will be fine. Plus, you look really cute with dog ears!" she exclaimed, making me roll my eyes.

"Well.. I suppose we should get this over with," I muttered, gathering my things together while she grabbed her basket and smiled.

We started walking back to the village while Sango told me about the others. She said Inuyasha's injuries were already healing rather nicely, and besides being a little sore, Miroku was doing just fine.

We could see the village in the distance when the hair on the back of my neck bristled. Bending forward in a defensive stance, a deep growl rumbled in my throat, and the scent of fur, leaves, and dead wildlife assaulted my nose.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango asked, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder while I looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the smell. Soon enough, however, a fairly strong demonic aura made itself known, making my stomach lurch.

"Oh no," she breathed, dropping her basket and pulling Hiraikotsu off her back, as if preparing for battle. "I'd know this demonic aura anywhere..." she cursed before putting her back to mine.

"Who is it? Who's coming?" I asked frantically, the muscles in my legs twitching, urging me to run.

"It's Kouga," she hissed, causing my heart to drop into my stomach. "Listen Kagome, I don't know how he's going to react. He put a verbal claim on you, so he's bound to be angry. So angry, he might even attack," she warned, causing my tail to twitch frantically back and forth.

Finally, I was able to hear foot steps approaching quickly, causing me to turn my entire body in their direction. Sango immediately caught on, turning her body as well, just as Kouga stopped in front of us.

"Why, if it isn't my lovely-" he started, only to cut himself off when he saw my appearance. His nostrils flared, and I swear I saw red seep into his eyes. "What the fuck!" he yelled striding over so he was in my face.

"What the hell is going on Kagome! You mated with that bastard!" he growled, grabbing the collar of my shirt and hoisting me into the air.

"Kouga! Let her go!" Sango yelled throwing Hiraikotsu at him, but he simply dodged it before turning to her.

"Shut up, Bitch! This has nothing to do with you!" he screamed, while throwing me to the ground.

I immediately rolled into a standing position while sweat coated my forehead. I heard a whimper escape my throat, and I knew I probably looked like a deer caught in someone's headlights, shaking with my ears flattened against my head.

He stalked over to a tree before slamming his fist into it, screaming in the process, and causing a large row of trees to crash into the ground, causing me to yelp, flinching closer to the ground.

"Dammit, Kagome! I put a verbal claim on you! You were in every right mine!" he snarled, coming at me again, and instead of preparing for defense, I shrunk down even farther, cowering under his gaze.

"Kouga, please!" I pleaded, tears springing from my eyes as the fear struck me. I could feel myself shaking. A loud, ferocious growl erupted from his throat echoing all around us and causing another whimper to escape my lips.

"Shut the fuck up Kagome! This is all your fault! Dammit I should never have left you alone with that bastard. I should have known!" he yelled, while I fell backwards, trying to scramble away from him.

"Leave her alone Kouga!" I heard someone yell, followed by a growl. Within seconds Kouga was thrown away from me, and I was starring at the back of Inuyasha.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here, you flea bitten bastard" Inuyasha growled, gripping Tetsusaiga tightly in his hand. The smell of incense assaulted my nose and I looked up, just as Miroku approached me.

"My God... Kagome.. what happened?" Miroku gasped, taking a step back, just as Sango approached his side. Hearing Miroku, Inuyasha turned around, and starred at me, finally noticing my appearance.

"K-Kagome?" he choked out, shock written all over his face. After a few moments, rage filled his eyes and he turned around, drawing Tetsusaiga and aiming it at Kouga.

"What the fuck did you do to Kagome," he hissed, making my heart clench while I got to my feet, backing up slightly.

"I didn't do anything you fucking dog!" he yelled, getting into an offensive stance, which only angered Inuyasha more.

"Bullshit you didn't do anything! Look at her! She's a half demon!" Inuyasha screamed, making me whimper again before looking to Sango for help. She however, was busy filling Miroku in on what happened to me.

"I can see she's a half demon! But that's not my mark on her neck now is it!" Kouga screamed back, causing Inuyasha to freeze. He slowly turned around, eyes falling on my neck, mouth hanging open.

My heart dropped into my stomach, and my head started to throb as I tried to suck in jagged breaths of air. When Inuyasha took a step towards me, saying something I didn't hear, I shook my head, finally caving into my instincts.

Looking briefly at everyone around me, I whimpered loudly before turning around and running from them.

The trees flying past me were the only things indicating how fast I was going, but my mind was too jumbled to realize that I shouldn't be able to move at this speed.

It wasn't long before breathing became difficult. Gasping for air, I began hyperventilating, groaning as my heart beat throbbed in my ears.

Glancing at everything that passed by, I realized how afraid I truly was. I had no idea what I was doing, let alone where I was going, but I couldn't stop running. My body wouldn't allow it.

However, after hours of running, I finally noticed how much pain my legs were in. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to make my muscles stop moving, or to at least slow down, but my own limbs wouldn't listen to me.

Forcing my eyes open, I looked forward, only to gasp and let out a strangled yelp before slamming into something hard.

Landing on my ass with a loud "oomph", I looked up, only to gasp loudly and scramble backwards as I starred into the eyes of a slightly shocked Sesshomaru.

"I see my brother has finally marked you," he muttered, looking indifferent as always. Fear enveloped me, causing panicked whimpers to erupt from my throat as I scrambled to my feet, prepared to run again, which caused him to sigh.

"I should have known," he stated, appearing at my side in an instant. I screamed, turning so I could run away, but before I was able to move, I felt him bring his hand down on the back of my neck.

Gasping breathlessly, I fell to my knees, watching as he stepped in front of me before everything went black.

**Inuyasha's POV-**

"Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on!" I yelled starring at the spot Kagome had been standing before turning to Sango, who was starring at the trees Kagome disappeared into. "Sango, what the hell happened?" I asked, causing her to flinch.

"We tried to tell you this morning.." she whispered, looking down at the ground while rubbing her arm. "Yesterday, after the coyote demon incapacitated you, he tried to forcefully mark Kagome, and that's when you turned into a full demon-" she started but I cut her off.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You told me that this morning. So what? Just tell me why Kagome is a half demon now!" I yelled, looking towards the forest again as I tried to calm my racing heart beat.

My body was telling me to run, chase after her, and make sure she was okay. But I was also feeling a strange sense of fear that didn't feel like it belonged to me.

"If you would just let me finish, I could tell you why she's a half demon!" Sango yelled, causing me to flinch.

"You turned into a full demon, and saved her at the last minute. After you killed the demon, you marked her before losing consciousness.

"Because your demon blood is stronger then her human blood, it took over, changing her into a half demon in order to synchronize your life spans. That's why you had a fever yesterday and that's why you were insisting Kagome needed help. She was changing," she finished, lowering her voice when she spoke the last part.

My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Kagome baring my mark. In almost every sense, Kagome and I were mates, sworn together until death.

"So.. Kagome and I.." I muttered starring at Sango as my heart thudded in my chest. She nodded, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

"You're bonded. You can now feel each others emotions, pain, and your souls are now tied together until death," she stated, smiling brightly when she saw a smile break out on my face. However, the fear in the back of my mind kept pushing itself forward, making me remember what Sango said, and wiping the smile off my face.

"You said I can feel her emotions, right? So this fear that I'm feeling.. it's not mine.. it's her's," I muttered, earning another nod.

Quickly sheathing Tetsusaiga, I turned away from Sango and started running into the forest after Kagome.

She was obviously terrified, and most definitely not in the state of mind to protect herself. If she were to run into a demon right now, especially smelling the way she does, the mark of a half demon won't matter.

Quickening my pace, I followed her scent, which was now tinted with my own, through the trees and foliage, desperately trying to catch up with her.

However, as I ran, I couldn't help but worry that she didn't want this. I know she has feeling for me. She's made it clear multiple times that her feelings are more then friendship, but was she in love with me?

Would she want to spend an eternity with me? Would she want to officially become my mate and bare my children.

"Tch, listen to me. I sound like the damn monk," I groaned, pushing my legs harder as I ran.

Did she even understand what the mark meant? Or was I just as bad as that damn coyote demon. After all, Sango didn't mention whether or not Kagome submitted or not. Could it be that I forced myself on her without realizing it?

After hours of running, and going over thousands of different scenarios in my head, my legs gave out, causing me to slam into the ground, tumbling until I crashed into a tree.

"Dammit... she's... fast.." I breathed, sucking in jagged breaths as I stood, leaning against the trunk of a tree as I caught my breath.

Suddenly, Kagome's fear spiked considerably, forming into all out panic, before her emotions disappeared all together.

"Kagome!" I yelled, sprinting after her despite the soreness in my legs. "Hang on, Kagome! I'm coming!" I yelled, my own fear consuming me, allowing me to push my legs harder.

After what seemed like an eternity, a new scent joined Kagome's, one that I knew very well. Growling viciously, my legs moved even faster then I ever thought possible, stopping only when I broke through a clearing.

In the center of the field, I saw Sesshomaru walking towards me, Kagome slung over his shoulder limply.

A loud, possessive growl vibrated through my chest and throughout the clearing, stilling Sesshomaru's footsteps. Seemingly unfazed by my growl, he just stood there, making me even angrier.

"What the fuck did you do to my mate," I growled viciously, drawing Tetsusaiga and pointing it at him. Sesshomaru raised an eye brow slightly, the only indication that he heard me, before shifting Kagome so he was holding her in his arms.

"Sheath your sword, half-breed. I did nothing to the girl. In fact, I was on my way to return her to you," he stated, eyes narrowing before he tossed her towards me.

Sheathing Tetsusaiga, I caught her effortlessly, holding her with one hand while my other hand twitched towards my sword, ready to draw it if necessary.

"You're lucky I rendered her unconscious. If she continued running, she would surely run into her death," he said, turning and striding away from me towards the forest.

However, just as he was about to disappear between the trees, he stopped, turning slightly and starring back at us.

"I've assured your mate's safety, and I will continue to do so whenever necessary, but I expect the same courtesy to be extended to myself. If anything happens to Rin, it's on your head," he warned, before turning back towards the forest.

"Don't disappoint me... Brother," he finished, before disappearing into the trees. Exhaling, I backed up to the nearest tree before slumping against the trunk, exhausted.

"Dammit, Kagome, you'll be the death of me," I moaned, shifting her so her back was lying against my chest.

Burying my face in her hair, I sighed in relief knowing she was finally safe. Letting myself lay there for a few minutes, I listened to her even breaths and watched her ears twitch every few seconds when the wind tickled them.

Finally deciding it was time to head back, I scooped her into my arms bridle style before standing up, and beginning the journey back home.


	3. Chapter 3

_** Hey everyone! Here's the last chapter of Marked. Sorry about the shitty ending :P I made the mistake of not planning out the ending of this story (figures), but hopefully it's not **_**too**_** bad. Anyway's thanks for read :) it truly means a lot to me. I do not own Inuyasha :D**_

**Inuyasha's POV-**

When we made it back to the village, most of the humans had migrated to their homes for the night, making slipping into Kaede's hut easy.

"You're back," Miroku stated, leaning casually against the wall with Sango seated next to the fire, stirring a pot of stew. "We figured you'd be chasing her all night," he said, accepting a bowl of stew from Sango while I laid Kagome on the futon.

"Where's the old lady?" I asked, settling myself against the wall closest to Kagome. Sango handed me a bowl of stew, before grabbing her own and sitting next to Miroku.

"One of the neighboring villages needed her assistance, she should be back in a few days. We already told her about Kagome," she explained looking at Kagome and smiling. "What exactly happened, anyway's?" she asked, taking a bite of her stew while Miroku leaned in curiously.

"Well, I would've been chasing her for days if it weren't for Sesshomaru. He stopped her," I told them, shocking Sango while Miroku just lifted an eyebrow.

"Really now? How?" Miroku asked, placing his empty bowl on the floor. Sango on the other hand narrowed her eyes.

"The real question is _why?_" she stated, also placing her bowl on the floor while she scooped Kirara into her arms.

"He knocked her out. He said if he didn't stop her she would've eventually ran into something that would kill her, which is true.

"A half-demon's mark won't stop a demon that's stronger than me from killing her. In fact, it'd probably just motivate them. That's why I wasn't planning to be with her in _that_ way until after the jewel shards were collected," I confessed, causing Sango's eye brow to shoot up.

"Oh my God, that's why you were rushing us to get the jewel shards. You were just getting impatient!" she exclaimed, smiling while Miroku grinned.

"What! N-no, I just... shut up!" I shouted, turning away so she wouldn't see the small blush that gathered in my cheeks.

"Anyway's, as I was saying before you interrupted me," I grumbled, glaring daggers at the demon slayer. "He said he'd protect my mate as long as I extended the same courtesy to him. He wants me to make sure Rin stays safe.

"If something happens to her, I might as well be the bastard who did it," I finished, replaying the scene in my head.

"It seems Sesshomaru is growing accustom to you, Inuyasha. To entrust Rin to you is a big step for him," Miroku remarked, trying to fight a grin from spreading on his face.

"Tch, whatever you say monk," I scoffed, even though I knew he was right. If Sesshomaru trusted me to protect his future mate, and willing to acknowledge me as his brother, then he's definitely pushing away whatever hatred he felt for me.

"Now we just need to find out why she ran away. I know she was afraid, but I don't know why. She knows Kouga isn't a threat when you're around," Sango said, petting Kirara's head as she thought.

"I don't see how Kouga could have frightened her that much. She's never been one to scare easily. Did something happen before he showed up that might have triggered something?" Miroku asked, eyeing Sango's ass while she tried to ignore him.

"No she seemed fine. I mean, when she came through the well she asked what I knew about Inuyasha biting her and I told her and-" she started but I cut her off.

"Tch, there ya go. She found out she was pledged to some half-demon," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest and looking towards the wall.

"Inuyasha, you can't honestly think that, can you?" she asked, and I could feel her eyes boring into me. "Inuyasha when I told her what it meant she was worried about how _you'd_ feel about it. She didn't know how you'd react.

"In fact, I think she was afraid you wouldn't want to be bound to her in that way!" she insisted, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "You really need to work on this low confidence thing. I know you had a rough past, but Kagome's your future, and she's never thought of you any differently," she said sternly, frowning at me.

"Tch," I grumbled, looking away slightly shocked that she had the balls to say that. "So what happened after you told her about the marking thing?" I asked, effectively changing the topic.

"Well, she showed me her..appearance change, and when she found out you were awake she panicked. She was afraid you'd react badly when you found out what happened. Anyway's, we were walking to the village when she started to panic.

"When I felt Kouga's demonic aura I warned her that he might be angry enough to attack, but he just started screaming. That's when she started to look terrified. She started crying and begging him to understand, and then you two showed up and she ran. I really don't know why," she finished, starring at Kagome while she spoke.

"She was overwhelmed," I concluded, frowning. "She was still probably confused on exactly what happened, and she was worried about how I would take it.

"Her instincts told her that Kouga was stronger than her, and if she was a full demon she would've ran the moment she smelt him, but not only is she not use to having those kind of instincts, but she's also half human.

"As a human, she considered Kouga a close friend. So she wasn't expecting him to yell at her like he did. She expected him to understand, so her human emotions took over, and not only that, but she's in heat, and she's always more emotional around this time of month.

"While demons rely on their instincts to make decisions, humans tend to over think things. Even thought their subconscious knows the right answer, they like to think they know what's better for them," I explained, while Sango glared at me.

"You mean like you when you barge into battle against demons that are stronger then you? Or when you first started going after Kikyo when all she did was try to kill you?" Sango asked while Miroku paled. Glaring at her, I growled slightly before turning away and cursing under my breath.

"If I was a full demon, and I came across a demon that was stronger than me, then yes, I wouldn't barge into battle. And if I was a full demon, I would never have met Kikyo," _or Kagome_ I added mentally, grimacing.

"So being half human makes you a cocky asshole?" she asked, feigning innocence while I shot her a dirty look.

"I believe Inuyasha means that being half human, he doesn't take hard work for granted. His human emotions encourage him to push himself harder to become stronger so he can prove himself. He has a greater sense of accomplishment when he succeeds. Am I right Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, laughing nervously.

"Tch, believe what you want, Monk," I muttered, glaring at him while he grinned sheepishly. "Anyway's, even if she was afraid of Kouga's reaction, he wasn't attacking, so he couldn't have been the only reason she ran away," I concluded, frowning.

"I believe she also may have misunderstood your reaction when you saw her new appearance as anger, maybe even disgust, over the fact she was no longer human. You've always hated being a half demon and have always wanted to become a full demon Perhaps she thought you'd hate her now that she's a half demon," Miroku offered, while I scoffed at the idea.

"There is no way she thought that. I was obviously angry at Kouga because I thought he did something to her!" I said, glaring at the monk.

"I don't know, Inuyasha. She did look pretty crest fallen when you got angry after you saw her. She was already worried about how you would feel about the entire thing, and I don't think that was the reaction she was looking for," Sango muttered, frowning slightly as she starred at the fire.

"So we have to make sure she knows that Inuyasha doesn't mind that she's a half demon and is more than happy to have her marked as his. However, how do we keep her from running away?" Miroku asked, eyes training on me especially while Sango yawned.

"Well, without Kouga around, she'll be a lot less defensive, and in time, she'll get use to her instincts and the new senses that come with them. We're gonna have to lay low for a while until she's comfortable with the changes.

"Our best bet is to try not to freak her out when she wakes up. Once her instincts recognize us as her pack, she'll be comfortable around us all," I told them, shrugging as I removed Tetsusaiga from my hakama and set it in the corner.

"We should probably follow Inuyasha's lead and remove our weapons. She's already use to me, but she was still really freaked out before she ran," Sango suggested, leaning Hiraikotsu and her multiple knives and swords against the wall in the far corner.

Miroku followed suit, leaning his staff in the corner and emptying his robe of all sutras before settling himself next to Sango.

"Inuyasha... you _are_ okay with Kagome being a half demon, right?" Sango asked softly, glancing between Kagome and I.

"Well, yeah. It's not the life I would have chosen for her, she's always going to be treated like shit because she's not human, but she's not a demon either, but if she's okay with it, then I am too.

"I'll do my best to protect her from the shit I went through growing up, but I'm surprisingly happy about this. For the past few months I've been dreading the fact that Kagome would grow old much faster then I will, and I'll lose her.

"Now I don't have to worry about that because she and I will grow old at the same pace," I confessed, smirking slightly at the thought.

"And she looks absolutely ravishable with her new appearance," Miroku commented, making the entire room go silent.

Before I even had a chance to stop myself, a loud possessive growl vibrated through my chest, echoing throughout the hut so loudly the walls seemed to shake.

I faintly heard the villagers wake up, panicking, but I refused to take my eyes off Miroku as I glared at him.

Sango on the other hand, grabbed the pot that was sitting next to the fire and flung it at his head, effectively calming me down and silencing my growl.

"You perverted bastard," she hissed, clenching her fist with a murderous glint in her eyes. "One, you're an asshole, and two, what is your right mind made you think it was a good idea to tell a demon that his _mate_, whom he just marked, is ravishable?

"Do you _want_ Inuyasha to kill you or are you just that much of an idiot?" she scowled, slamming her fist into his head.

"Sango, Sango please! I did not say _I _wanted to ravish her, but who am I to deny a woman's beauty?" he said innocently, throwing his hand to his chest in a dramatic gesture.

"You better shut up and quite putting your foot in your mouth before I do it for you, you lecherous monk. You shouldn't even be looking at Kagome that way," I growled viciously, cracking my knuckles.

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha, I meant nothing by it. Kagome, is of course, yours to ravish as you please. I have another women in mind for myself," he stated, groping Sango's ass while she and I blushed brightly.

"S-shut up you damn monk!" I yelled, while Sango slapped him across the face as she scooted away from him. He on the other hand continued grinning like an idiot, obviously proud of himself.

Grumbling to myself, I crossed my arms over my chest in an attempt to calm my racing heart beat. I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about Kagome in.. _that_ way before, but having Miroku voice it like that, I couldn't help but feel incredibly embarrassed.

Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts aside, and tried to focus on what's going on now. Kagome was still unconscious, but the slight increase in her heartbeat showed she would wake up soon.

Miroku had fallen asleep, still grinning idiotically, while Sango was nodding off, laying on the floor with Kirara at her side.

Rolling my head back against the wall, I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm myself. I could feel my body try to lull itself to sleep, but I kept my ears focused on Kagome's breathing in order to keep myself alert.

However, after a few hours, I was just about to give up and fall asleep when her breath hitched. My eyes snapped open and I turned to her, holding my breath as I watched her turn restlessly.

After a few minutes of tossing and turning, her eyes blinked open, starring blankly at the ceiling. She stayed there for a while starring at nothing, completely unaware of her surroundings.

"Hey," I whispered, smiling softly as she jumped. She sat up and turned around, wide eyed as her ears twitched frantically on her head. "You okay?" I asked, carefully to keep my voice soft.

"What happened to Sesshomaru?" she breathed, glancing around and noticing Sango and Miroku sleeping on the other side of the room for the first time.

"Tch, the bastard didn't mean to threaten you. He was just trying to do me a favor," I explained, blushing slightly.

"Do you a favor?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow skeptically while I smirked. She repositioned herself so she was sitting across from me, her tail twitching between her legs showing how uncomfortable she felt, which wiped the smirk off my face.

"Yeah. Why don't we go outside... you know, so we don't wake them up?" I offered, jerking my head towards Sango and Miroku.

She nodded, and we both stood up and headed towards the door. I held the mat open while she walked outside, earning a smile from her despite how confused and nervous she still felt.

We walked for a while in a comfortable silence until we reached the creek. Kagome was the first to sit down, and I quickly follow suit and sat next to her, but at a distance that wouldn't make her any more nervous.

"The reason Sesshomaru knocked you out was because he was protecting you for me. If you kept running, you would eventually have come across a demon that wouldn't hesitate to kill you.

"I know how afraid you were when you ran off, I could feel it, and if you ran across a demon, especially.. uh, smelling the way you do, you wouldn't have been able to protect yourself.

"You didn't have your bow, and you don't know how to fight with your claws yet. I'll have to teach you the basics, if uh, if you want... that is," I muttered, glancing the opposite direction while a small blush formed on my cheeks.

"But Sango said a demon wont attack me because of your mark. She said it warns them not to," she said, and I could feel her confusion growing.

"She's half right. A demon that's weaker than me will know not to attack you, but if you ran into a demon that's stronger than me, my mark won't matter. I'm just a half demon after all," I explained, frowning.

"Anyway's, Sesshomaru promised that he'd protect you whenever he's needed, as long as I protect Rin in return," I finished, looking back at her to see she was starring at the ground with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. When you turned full demon, after you killed the coyote demon I should have subdued you until we could get Tetsusaiga into your hands. If I did, you wouldn't be stuck with me like this..." she whispered, her ears flattening.

Springing to my feet, I jumping in front of her before taking her chin in my hand. Forcing her to look at me, I saw tears rolling down her cheeks while she bit her lip, drawing blood with her fang. She hiccupped slightly, causing my own ears to flatten as I starred at her.

"Kagome.. if anything I'm sorry. I.. I lost control, and claimed you before you could give consent. Hell, I claimed you before you even knew what it was, but I'd be lying if I said I regretted it," I said, grinning sheepishly at her.

"Y-you don't?" she asked, pulling at her hair as she starred into my eyes. Showing her a genuine smile that only she's allowed to see, I watched her eyes widen in shock when she read the truth in my eyes.

"I was going to ask you, once we finished collecting the jewel shards, if you wanted to be with me, and get married. I never planned on marking you, because I didn't know what would happen if I did, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to be with you.

"Marking you is probably the best thing I've done while not in control," I confessed while she let out a choked laugh as tears ran down her face.

"Even if I'm not human anymore?" she asked, smiling as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. Grinning, I cupped her cheek and wiped away her tears with my thumb.

"I don't care if you're a half demon, it just means I have more time with you," I told her, and before I had time to react, she lunged at me, knocking be on my back.

Just as I was able to process what was going on, her lips were on my, kissing me desperately. I smiled into the kiss, pulling her closer before kissing her back and tangling my hands in her hair.

When she pulled away, she was laughing and crying at the same time, but her smile never faded, and she's never looked happier.

Grinning, I propped myself up on my elbows so I could stare at her. She was laying on me, her tail wagging happily in the air while her legs tangled with mine. Miroku may have been crude about it, but she did look beautiful.

She was beautiful as a human too, but now she looked stunning. It's almost as if she was meant to be a half demon. Her ears were perked up happily, and her eyes sparkled brightly thanks to the tears.

Hell, she even looked gorgeous with her cheeks streaked with tears that were accented by the moon reflecting off the creek. I don't think I've ever seen her smile like this before, especially at me.

She laid her head on my chest and sighed, but I could see her smiling. I could feel her happiness radiating off her, enveloping us both as I laid back down, draping my arms over her.

We stayed like that for awhile, watching the sky until sunrise. However, at dawn she rolled off me, stretching her arms and legs as a soft moan escaped her lips.

"We should probably head back," I mumbled, sitting up and smirking at her. She pouted slightly but nodded while I stood up and offered her my hand. She gladly excepted it, allowing me to pull her to her feet.

"The others are probably wondering if you ran off again last night. After we have breakfast I'll have to start teaching you basic skills to use now that you're a half demon. You up for it?" I asked, grinning mischievously while she put a hand on her hip.

"I'm sure I can handle it," she said, smiling at me before pulling at my hand and dragging me back towards Kaede's.


End file.
